Frozen in Darkness
by BridgitKiido
Summary: AU. The Kaiser's throne has been usurped, he and the Blizzard Prince have both disappeared, and Darkness now rules the land. Now, Prince Sho must gather an army to combat this evil usurper and restore peace. Discontinued, may be restarted someday.
1. Prelude

**Frozen in Darkness**

by BridgitKiido

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh and Yu-Gi-Oh GX (the latter of which is more prevalent here) are the intellectual property of Kazuki Takahashi. I am a mere American mutt in high school that happens to have a laptop and a very strange sense of humor. Therefore, I am not Kazuki Takahashi, and therefore, I do not own either of the properties stated above. Nor, of course, do I own Digimon, which only has relevance because half of the plot of this story is based on that. Please don't hurt me…

* * *

Prelude

_A nice, peaceful breeze passed over the field of wildflowers, gently rustling the leaves of the solitary willow tree in the middle. It was so quiet that the sound of the leaves' rustling seemed as loud as a tuning orchestra, but contrary to the belief that such silences cannot exist when other beings are around to hear it, there was one solitary being sitting in one of the branches of the tree, perfectly still. The young man appeared to be enjoying himself, allowing the gentle breeze to pass through his perfectly sculpted brown hair and even to rustle his silken robes._

_But, Fubuki didn't let himself succumb to sleeping, no matter how tempting it might have seemed. He had come to this spot for a particular reason after all…_

… _and said reason had just arrived._

_Fubuki waved happily, calling out, "Hey, Asuka, over here!" before leaping out of the tree to meet his sister, who had broken into a dash upon seeing him._

_Upon catching up with her older brother and giving him a swift hug, Asuka ran a hand through her blond hair and asked, "So, Brother, what news do you bring of the treaties in Academia?"_

_Fubuki laughed. "Oh, come on, do we have to discuss business affairs right now? I haven't talked to you in days!" Upon noticing his sister's slight glare, however, he sighed mentally. The entire purpose of his trip, after all, had been to complete negotiations with the country of Academia. The siblings' home country of Nordia had recently been involved in a great war with the other, and had lost, so even though they had not been involved in the conflict to begin with, Fubuki and Asuka were left having to deal with the mess involved._

"_Well, I went to meet with Academia's Kaiser. They have a new one now, ever since Kaiser Samejima retired; you'll never guess who it is." Upon receiving no answer from his sister, Fubuki replied, "It's Ryo Marufuji. You remember him, right?"_

"_Really?" Asuka replied, her interest perked. "I never would have expected him to become Kaiser. Anyway, continue."_

"_Well, he hasn't changed all that much from back then, and even though we haven't seen each other in a long time, he and I were really getting along well I think."_

_Asuka put her hand on her hip. "You still haven't said anything about the treaties."_

_Fubuki sighed. His sister always had to be the one to get straight to the point on things, didn't she. "They're going just fine. In fact, Ryo and I were just about to go finish the final one, and I felt it important to let you look it over and make sure you're okay with it." He fished around in his robes until he found what he was looking for – an important-looking document written on very fine parchment detailing the peace treaty between Academia and Nordia – and handed it to Asuka._

_After looking it over for a moment, just barely enough time to get the gist of it – she trusted her brother's judgment, after all, as long as it had nothing to do with clothing – Asuka handed it back. "That sounds like a fair agreement." Then, as a sort of afterthought, "Our predecessors really messed things up, didn't they."_

"_Yeah, they certainly did," Fubuki laughed, but his laughter was cut short. His eyes widened suddenly as he instinctively put an arm to the back of his shoulder to suppress the blinding pain that had now decided to strike there. It took everything he could muster not to scream in pain._

"_Brother?" Asuka asked, noticing Fubuki's condition. Then, more worried when he didn't respond, "Brother, what's wrong?"_

"_A-Asuka," Fubuki strained to reply, "Something's gone wrong… I need to get back now. I'll… I'll contact you later, when everything's taken care of… __**don't try and contact me until I do**__." He then could no longer prevent it, and his voice burst forth with a shrill scream of agonized pain._

"_Brother!?" Asuka cried out, reaching toward Fubuki as their miniature universe faded to black…_

Far away, in the throne room of Nordia's palace, the Blue Princess collapsed to the ground with a terrified cry of "Brother!"

One of the handmaids, a somewhat pretty, black-haired, young girl known as Rei Saotome, was the only one in the room at the time, and therefore the only one who noticed the princess collapse to the ground. Immediately, she stopped her mopping to attend to her, for the princess was known to be quite resilient and did not fall ill easily, and therefore she reasoned that this must be a particularly bad scene.

"Your highness," Rei asked as she helped the princess onto her feet, "what happened? Are you all right?"

"Brother…" she replied, still in shock over her experience. "Something bad has happened to my brother. I have to go help him…"

"In this condition?" Rei replied. "I mean this in the best way possible, your highness, but you just fainted. You need your rest."

Rei helped the Blue Princess up to her chambers and made sure that she was safely in bed before leaving the room to request that the Advisors make certain of the prince's whereabouts. Not that Rei was particularly worried about the Blizzard Prince herself – he may have been a little spacey at times, but he was strong where it counted – but she wanted to alleviate the princess' fears if possible.

While on her way to contact the Advisors, however, Rei was drawn for a moment to the window. This particular window, as was the design of the palace, faced south, toward the land of Academia. In the past, this window had shown great bloodshed between the two countries as the war continued over something trivial and forgotten. Of late, it had shown peaceful signs of reconstruction.

Now, however, all that the window revealed was a dark cloud spreading over Nordia's neighboring country, spiraling from Academia's palace. _This,_ Rei thought, _can't be good._

* * *

Sho Marufuji, younger brother of the Kaiser of Academia and heir to the throne, was a fairly flexible person, but he did have one daily routine that no one was allowed to disturb him from. Ever day, just after lunch, he would sit in his room and quietly meditate for half an hour, after which he would go outside and perform some sort of physical activity that varied from day to day. So it had come as no surprise to the Kaiser himself that his brother had refused to attend the meeting that he and the Blizzard Prince were holding shortly after lunch, and he had politely explained it to Norida's ambassador, the Blizzard Prince himself, who had cheerfully laughed and expressed no hard feelings about the matter.

The first thing that Prince Sho noticed when he came out of his meditation, however, was that everyone in the palace appeared to be in a panic, screaming at the tops of their lungs as they ran around like lunatics.

_Someone probably clogged the toilets again,_ Sho thought cynically as he stood up and stretched. He then reached for his sword, as he was planning on a sparring session shortly. However, plans changed very quickly as one of the panicked advisors, a tall man named Daitoukuji, peeked into the room, his cat still miraculously asleep in his arms despite all of the movement. "Prince Sho! I'm so glad you're awake, nya. Quick, come with me – we have to leave the palace _now_, nya!"

"What for?" Sho asked, startled enough by the demand that he didn't comment like he usually did on the advisor's usage of the word 'nya' at the end of his sentences. "Did something happen? Is my brother okay?"

Daitoukuji placed his cat delicately down on the floor before beginning to pack a few various objects in a suitcase. "As you know, Prince Sho, while you were meditating, your brother the Kaiser was having a meeting with the Blizzard Prince of Nordia, nya. However, something attacked the room that they were in, though no one actually saw the attacker itself. Now, neither of them is to be found anywhere, nor have we been able to find the Kaiser's elemental companion, nya. And to make things worse, the being that attacked is calling himself "Kaiser Darkness". The throne's been usurped, nya!"

Sho immediately unsheathed his sword. "Well, what are we waiting for then? We need to go up to the throne room and – "

Daitoukuji shook his head. "You know as well as I do that that's an impossible task, which is why we need to leave _now_, before Darkness can find you and kill you, nya. You are the true heir, but the powers of the Kaiser are too strong, and he will seek to kill you if we don't leave now." He then finished packing, shut the suitcase quickly, picked up both suitcase and cat, and continued, "Come on, Prince."

"O-okay," Sho replied as he slowly sheathed his sword once again and followed his advisor. They moved quietly, attempting to not bring attention to their movements. Sho did, however, pause for just a moment to look back; just down the hall from where he had been meditating was the room where his brother had no doubt been calmly sitting just a half hour before. _Brother…_ Sho thought. _I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you… but make no mistake; I will come back and rescue you soon. I promise!_

* * *

Contrary to Daitoukuji's fears, the new Kaiser was not, in fact, focusing right away on killing the Prince. Instead, the young man was simply sitting on the throne and focusing on spreading his dark power throughout the palace. One could not see his face, as it was covered by a black mask in the shape of a wyrm's head, so the only distinguishing feature that could be noted about him physically was his long, brown hair, significantly longer than most young men would typically wear theirs. But then, old fashions, like old relations between countries, were coming and going with the tides these days.

After a few minutes, Darkness stood up and walked to the window. The dark aura that he had been spreading was beginning to take hold of not only the palace walls, but of the rest of the land itself. He smirked, staring at his hand and stretching it. "Excellent. Although not completely according to plan, things are working out quite well. I might as well have a little fun while I'm here." He then lifted his head up, stretched his arms out, and gave your cliché evil laugh.

Anyone in the village who had been still oblivious to the usurpation…

Well, none of them were oblivious anymore.

* * *

_Author's Note: This is my first fic in the GX fandom… so if it's a little off, please don't hurt me. For spoilers… well, this fic has them for most of the first season, and it will also probably include a couple of second season characters, but no one who is introduced in the third season will be included in this story._

_Please don't hurt me in that this story is going to seem slightly on the Digimon-esque side… that's where the inspiration came from, a little game of word association involving the term "Kaiser"._


	2. Bearer of the Gift, Judai Yuki

**Frozen in Darkness**

by BridgitKiido

Disclaimer: -sings- I own nothing. Simply nothing. I own nothing, no nothing at all!!!!

Chapter 1

Bearer of the Gift, Judai Yuki

* * *

It was a dark and stormy night. Of course, that was to be expected now in Academia; ever since Darkness had become the Kaiser, it was always dark and stormy, no matter whether it was day or night. The citizens, once part of a proud, social culture, now locked themselves away in their houses, only going out to purchase a day or two's ration of food from the local market, and even then, these markets were ghost towns. The storms, of course, were only partially at fault; tales ran rampant about people who left their houses and never returned, only to have their broken, bloody bodies found floating haphazardly down a river two weeks later. No one had actually seen the Kaiser's minions, who were assumed to be at fault, but they were very much aware of their existence.

There was one place, however, where the anguished mood of the rest of the country was unable to penetrate. If it had been a temple, it probably would have been destroyed long ago by Darkness; therefore, it was very lucky that this place was nothing but an old, slightly broken saloon. The outside was very unimpressive; broken wood slats creaked and fell every now and again, and even the name sign, which still miraculously read "Osiris Red", was slightly faded and unstable on its ledge, obviously lopsided to anyone reading it on level ground. The inside, however, was quite nice in comparison; though much of the furnishings were obviously outdated and the occasional nest of carpenter ants lived under the staircase just out of reach, it was kept tidy and dust-free and had a homely feel. The owner of Osiris Red, a short, elderly lady known to her customers as Ms. Tome, made sure of that.

For the last few months, Ms. Tome hadn't had many customers; because the throne had been usurped, regular citizens hadn't dared to come, and travel between Academia and Nordia had been almost unheard of ever since the beginning of the war… oh, at least a decade ago now. It got rather lonely at times.

That's not to say that she didn't still have customers though. A few days after she found out about the events at the castle, Tome had been amazed to see the true heir himself, Sho Marufuji, and his advisor, a man named Daitoukuji, choose her inn instead of all others to stay at until things were deemed safer. Like any other customer, the two of them were welcomed with open arms, and they had stayed ever since. Sho would even occasionally do odd jobs around the saloon; somehow he managed to chase off the carpenter ants under the stairs, though he wouldn't explain how. Daitoukuji, meanwhile, could usually be found sitting at the piano, picking out a tune while his cat slept on top.

On rare occasions, there would be other customers that decided to come and go, though they were few and far between. Even rarer was the customer that decided to stay for an extended period, though there was one or two. Though these instances were few and far between, they were the highlights of Tome's otherwise mediocre life.

* * *

Then, of course, there was the one regular that Osiris Red had: Judai Yuki. He was a simple farmer lucky enough to have a Gift, a knack for befriending many monsters. Most people only befriended and made a pact with one, maybe two, but Judai had made pacts with at least twenty monsters in his short lifetime thus far, and he was constantly seen around the saloon introducing his newest kobun, or monster friend. He never seemed to care about the fact that Academia was under hard times; heck, he never seemed to show any signs of realizing that the country's leadership had recently changed. Ms. Tome sometimes worried about him, but always figured he would be fine as long as he had his monster friends to protect him.

Then again, he had been away for a while now…

The bell on the door suddenly rang, and a voice called out, "Hey, Ms. Tome! Could you whip up a pair of vanilla milkshakes for me and my friend here?"

Never mind. There he was, unscratched and happy-go-lucky as usual, this time accompanied by what appeared to be a brown hairball with wings. Not that that was surprising though – Judai was known for bringing in even stranger monsters.

"Well, what do you know," Ms. Tome replied with a grin as she reached to begin rinsing a pair of dusty milkshake glasses. "Who's your new friend here? He's awful cute."

Judai and his companion sat at a couple of stools next to the bar. Well, Judai sat; his friend sort of hovered. The boy's belt, which held as many runed tablets as it could (and then some), clinked softly as Judai patted his companion, who gave a happy kind of 'kuri' sound. "This is Hane, a Kuriboh type. I met him not too far from here, actually. I accidentally tripped in the woods on my way here, and then there was this strange guy wearing a sort of bluish-purple cloak. Strange hair too – it was spiked, black with red tips, but with bright blond bangs. But anyway, this weird guy asked me to take care of Hane here, and then he just disappeared, leaving just Hane." He shrugged. "Kinda strange."

Ms. Tome nodded, replying, "You've found yourself a real beauty there, Judai. Take care of him." She placed one of the glasses under the milkshake maker, but before she could begin dispensing the beverage, something outside of Osiris Red emitted a crashing sound.

Daitoukuji immediately stopped playing the piano, turning toward the door almost on instinct as his cat mewled in annoyance at the music's stopping.

"I'll see what happened," Judai offered as he bounded out the door, Hane close behind. The crash was an average crash – the "Osiris Red" sign had finally fallen completely off of the building.

What wasn't average was the large, black panther standing in front of the building and growling with its teeth bared. Judai could swear that it had a huge, black aura wrapping around it, but he knew that couldn't be right…

Most people's first instincts would have been to scream and run away. Braver people's instincts would have told them to make themselves as big as possible and try to scare it away.

Judai was not most people.

"Hey there," he said with a smile. "What brings you to this neck of the woods? Don't your kind live farther in?"

The panther responded with a roar and an attempt to pounce on the young teenager. It never got too close, however, as Hane dove in the way just in time and produced a shield, repelling the feline's attack. However, Judai did get knocked down as a consequence.

Daitoukuji, who was now watching as he peeked out from behind the door fame, was amazed. "It's been a long time since I've seen anyone with a Kuriboh; they don't usually interact with humans. And to see one with such powerful protection abilities…"

Ms. Tome, also watching from behind the doorframe, nodded. "Judai is an amazing boy, with amazing little friends, isn't he."

"Thanks, Hane," Judai said, getting up. Brushing himself off, he told the panther, "Okay then, you want to play? In that case, Hane and I shouldn't have all the fun."

He reached down toward his belt and unlatched two of the many runed tablets. Holding them upright in a fan-like manner, he called out, "By the conditions of our pact, I summon you! Element Armors Burst and Feather!" He then tossed the two tablets into the air, spinning them until they began to glow.

From the light of the glowing tablets emerged a pair of armor-like monsters, although their armor-like quality was the only thing similar about them. One of them held the form of a scarlet female warrior, her helmet almost birdlike. The other was similar to a green angel, brilliant bird wings protruding from his back.

"Amazing," Daitoukuji murmured, and his cat mewled in agreement. At this point, Sho had even managed to sneak toward the door and was now peeking out, though only enough that he could see without being seen.

"Now, merge!" Judai commanded, and the two armors obliged as they dissembled themselves and attached their various parts to Judai. When they were through, Judai was covered in an armor that was half crimson and half green, with a single wing protruding from his back. All three of the onlookers within Osiris Red were amazed by Judai's power.

The panther, however, did not appear to be so appreciative, as it took the opportunity to attack once again. This time, however, Judai was ready; he managed to catch the cat mid-pounce and, with a burst of fiery energy, threw it to the ground. The impact was so severe that the feline fell unconscious.

Judai sighed as the armors reassembled themselves individually. Then, he smiled at them and said, "Thanks, guys."

"It was no problem, Aniki," the green armor, Feather, replied.

"It's nice to get some exercise once in a while," the red armor, Burst, added. With that, the two armors disappeared.

Judai then walked over to the panther and said, "Poor guy. You must be scared, being this far away from your home." He began to attempt to lift the cat up, but before he could do so, he noticed a small rune fall off of its neck. Judai usually would not have been so interested, but he noticed that the glow he had seen around the panther itself earlier, now non-existent, somehow managed to be concentrated around this rune.

Without even bothering to think that it might be corrupted, Judai picked up the small amulet and looked it over. It was your average pact rune, except that it was flaking apart in places and obviously was not very strong. In fact, it was different from most other pact runes in that it only held one name inscribed on it…

"'Darkness'…" Judai read, extremely concerned. "Who is this 'Darkness' guy? And why would that person create a rune that forces innocent monsters to act against their wills? I cannot allow that type of person to continue what they are doing."

"Um," Sho piped up, walking cautiously out of Osiris Red toward Judai. "Darkness is… he is the person who has usurped the position of Kaiser of Academia. I-If you would like, I would be honored if you would join the resistance I am leading against him."

Judai tilted his head, looked toward Hane, who nodded with a small "Kuri", and smiled. "I would be honored to aid your resistance. My name is Judai. Judai Yuki." He extended his arm for a handshake.

Accepting the handshake, Sho replied, "And I am Sho Marufuji, younger brother of Ryo Marufuji, true Kaiser of Academia."

* * *

_Author's Note: I hate writers' block… it took me three tries to come up with a suitable way for Judai to meet up with Hane. Combine that with school coming to a close… yeah. I'm sorry this chapter took so long…_

_Ms. Tome's name is pronounced like to-mé. Similarly, Hane is pronounced ha-né._

_Daitoukuji playing the piano… I'm not sure exactly why, but somehow that's what I see._

_Kobun is a Japanese term that refers to a henchman or lackey. In this story, it is the term generally used for the monster in a pact relationship._

_Aniki is one Japanese term for brother, but it is also often used to denote a boss, often in gangs. In this story, it is the term generally used for the human in a pact relationship._

_(Both of those definitions were taken from the subtitles of Digimon Savers episode 1, With the Will's subs, by the way. If I understand something wrong, please feel free to let me know.)_

_No, Johan won't be appearing in this story, I'm sorry. Nor will anyone who is introduced in season three. I know those characters, and I like those characters as characters, but I'd rather not write them into this particular story. They may show up in a sequel though…but it's too early for that yet._

_And if anything, anything at all, seems strange, then go ahead and ask me for a better explanation. I'll be happy to give you one. After all, it all makes sense to me, but then I'm a strange person…_


	3. Thunder! The Resistance Grows

**Frozen in Darkness  
**by BridgitKiido

Insert generic disclaimer here.

Chapter 2  
Thunder! The Resistance Grows

* * *

The panther that had attacked Osiris Red had long since disappeared, apparently free from whatever influence Kaiser Darkness had over it. Judai was still quite confused by the entire incident, however; after all, pacts were usually unable to be broken by outside forces, and yet this one had ended simply by removing the rune from around its neck. And that's not to mention all the other strange things about it... 

But that was hardly important right now. At the moment, the only thing that mattered was those milkshakes he had requested – one for him, one for Hane. Ms. Tome's milkshakes were the best in all of Academia, so he always purchased one for each of his new kobuns. (Plus, he hoped, Ms. Tome enjoyed seeing his ever-growing menagerie.)

Nothing, not even the threat of an evil Kaiser looming overhead or even the creak of the ceiling that sounded as though it was about to give in, could prevent Judai and Hane from enjoying their milkshakes. Nor could a sudden shout of frustration from upstairs, though that did startle them. After that, they heard a door slam and a pair of feet stomp their way down the stairs.

Said feet belonged to a boy around Judai's age. He wore all black, including a long black coat; one possible reason could have also caused the various dark, greasy stains on his otherwise pale face. (His skin was so pale that, was his hair not ink black, he might have passed as albino.) Judai, however, immediately noticed the three runed tablets that he wore as a necklace.

He passed through the room without comment, although he appeared to be muttering various profanities under his breath. He did, however, stop to ask, "Ms. Tome, do you mind if I go out to look for more parts in the scrap heap again?"

"I don't mind at all," Ms. Tome responded happily. "You know that you're free to use as much of it as you need. Did something happen?" she asked, obviously referring to the various inky spots on his skin.

The boy huffed. "If _these guys_ hadn't decided to run around like lunatics…"

"I'm sorry, Aniki!" came a voice from upstairs, which was followed by a small crash and the appearance of three small creatures rolling down the stairs in a snowball-like manner. When they landed, Judai could tell that they were small, almost bug-like humanoid monsters, although each of them wore a small, polka-dotted thong around their rear ends. The yellow one, whose eyes were on long stalks, bowed apologetically as he continued, "I was trying to be careful, honest! But Black tripped me."

A second one, whose skin was a very dark purple, nearly black, hue and whose distinct feature was a huge nose, retaliated, "That's not true! You must have tripped over Green."

The third, green one had only one eye, but it still expressed a combination of frustration and apology. "I was with you the whole time, Black! Yellow didn't trip over me, he tripped over you!"

The boy glared at them. "I don't care _who_ tripped over _who_. The point is, _someone_ crashed into it, so half of that metal is ruined and useless now."

Judai, meanwhile, had leapt out of his chair and was now kneeling close to the three colored creatures, looking them over in excitement and awe. "Woah, cool! These are Ojamas, right? But I've never seen them in any color other than red. Where'd you find them?" he asked the boy, who gave him a glare before silently giving Ms. Tome a quick bow of respect and thanks and leaving the building.

Yellow looked up at Judai, whose sweatdrops were plainly visible. "Please don't mind Aniki; he's prone to anger and puts on a cold exterior to strangers, but he's the kindest, most caring person I've ever met!" The other two Ojamas nodded in agreement before returning to a (somewhat playful at this point) staring contest.

"He never answered my question," Judai sighed before turning to the creatures. "You _are_ Ojamas, right?"

The three of them smiled, and Yellow replied, "Yup! We're Ojamas, alright! I'm Yellow…"

"Green's the name," the green one replied.

"And my name is Black!" replied the dark colored one.

They clasped their hands together in a triangular pattern and, in an obviously rehearsed maneuver, touched together their rear ends. "And together, we are the Ojama Trio!"

"Kuri kuri," Hane chirped happily, having been watching the goings-on for some time now.

"Ah, I see you've met Thunder," Daitoukuji stated with a calm smile as he walked into the room, his cat (Judai had recently learned that its name was Pharaoh) following close behind.

"Thunder?"

"His real name is Jun Manjoume, but he doesn't like to be called Jun or Manjoume, nya. He prefers to be called Thunder; I'm guessing it's because of his skills at making machinery, nya. He's got a bit of the Gift too, as you can probably tell."

Judai nodded and was about to continue talking to the Ojama Trio when the door opened again. This time, it was not just Thunder who walked through the door (apparently happy with the large armful of random metal plates that he carried in), but a pair of other travelers as well. Both of them wore traveling cloaks that covered them entirely, leaving one of them completely hidden from view. The other, however, had a bit of his head showing, revealing blue-grey eyes set in a serious expression, as well as dark grey hair extending to a single point behind his head.

"I found these guys sleeping in the scrap heap," Thunder explained deadpan-ly. "They say they're travelers from Nordia who heard rumors about the Kaiser's throne being usurped and wanted to help the true heir in any way they could, but you never know these days."

Ms. Tome, who had been cleaning the milkshake machine, rushed out to greet the new guests. "Welcome to Osiris Red. Can I get you anything? You must be starving, traveling all that way, and the scrap heap is no place to sleep. I'll set you up with lodgings right away."

The grey-haired man waved his hands in front of his face as he stammered, "N-no, that's fine, really. We really don't want to impose or anything. Our provisions are fine, and we've been sleeping on far worse than scraps of metal for most of the trip."

"Still," Judai piped up as he walked over to the slowly-forming group, "you ought to try one of Ms. Tome's milkshakes. They're the best in the world. And if you don't have enough money, I'll buy them for you if you want."

The grey-haired man looked toward his companion, who replied with an obviously female voice, "We cannot stay for long, I'm sorry to say. But perhaps we can spend one night here." It was impossible to read her expression, as her face was hidden beneath the hood, but her tone seemed friendly, yet slightly held back.

"One night it is then," the lady's companion replied, and Ms. Tome immediately made her way upstairs to set up suitable lodgings.

Daitoukuji had been just about to sit down to the piano once again, but after seeing the new visitors arrive, he ignored Pharaoh's growl of annoyance and made his way over to the group at the door. "Excuse me. I couldn't help overhearing that you wish to help the true heir to Academia's throne, nya?"

The grey-haired man nodded, and the way the cloth moved, it was assumed that the lady did the same as she replied, "My reasons are my own, but my brother taught me magic and sword play when I was younger, and I wish to use my skills to help in whatever way I can."

"And I wish to lend my aid as well," the lady's companion replied, "though my main purpose is to escort Lady Asu… Asuryn here."

Daitoukuji smiled. "Well, I'm certain that your aid will be most welcome, nya. If you wish, I can show you to Prince Sho's room right now, actually, Miss Asuryn and… er…"

"D-Daichi, sir," the man replied.

"He's here?" Asuryn asked, slightly baffled. "I wasn't aware that he would be this far away from the castle."

Daitoukuji laughed slightly. "Well, it's a little bit too dangerous for him to be around the castle, don't you think? After all, he _is_ the true heir and all, nya. But anyway, if you wish to speak with him, follow me please, nya." He walked into a back hallway, and Asuryn and Daichi followed at some distance. Judai, meanwhile, returned to his milkshake, while Thunder returned upstairs, a loud clunk stating clearly that he had returned to his room.

As soon as they were out of the main room, Asuryn whispered hurriedly in Daichi's ear, "I thought I asked you to stop with the Lady thing. It might give us away."

"My apologies, Princess Asuka," Daichi replied in a low whisper. "It's a bad habit of mine – I will continue to work on that."

* * *

"Kaiser, sir," called a figure in the shadows, causing Darkness to look up from his meditations on his throne. (Of course, there were lots of shadows in that particular throne room, as was coming to be expected from Darkness' reign, but that was hardly the point, now was it?) 

"What is it, Kagemaru?"

"One of the scouts sent to the edge of the forest never returned. The last time its location was recorded, it was somewhere near a small building called 'Osiris Red'."

Darkness hummed thoughtfully for a moment, and then replied, "It's probably nothing, but there's no use taking chances, now is there? Kagemaru, go out to Osiris Red and destroy whatever you find there that could possibly be considered dangerous."

"As you command, Kaiser sir." And the figure in the shadows disappeared.

* * *

_Author's Note: For those who don't know, Manjoume's nickname of Thunder came about when he was at North Academy. The suffix –san is used to indicate respect along the level of Mr. or Mrs. in American society, and no one was using it with his name, so he kept reminding them, "It's –san!", or, in Japanese, "-san da!", which sounds very similar to the Japanese pronunciation of the word Thunder. It kinda stuck. Unfortunately, it doesn't really translate well into English without a lot of explanation. Hence why you get thunderbolts after "Chazz it up" for no apparent reason in the English dub._

_I wasn't going to do this initially, but due to a reviewer's request, I am going to add a Japanese to English dub glossary of names. I'll start with the people that have been introduced so far, and I'll add to it in subsequent chapters as more characters show up. If I don't mention them, assume that the name is the same in both versions._

_Let's see… in order of appearance so far, that would be…_

_Fubuki Tenjoin – Atticus Rhodes  
__Asuka Tenjoin – Alexis Rhodes  
__Samejima – Sheppard  
__Ryo Marufuji – Zane Truesdale  
__Rei Saotome – Blair Flannigan  
__Sho Marufuji – Syrus Truesdale  
__Daitoukuji – Banner  
__Darkness – Nightshroud  
__Osiris Red – Slifer Red  
__Ms. Tome – Ms. Dorothy  
__Judai Yuki – Jaden Yuki  
__Hane Kuriboh – Winged Kuriboh  
__E-Heroes (Elemental Armors in my story) – Elemental Heroes  
__Burst Lady – Burstinatrix  
__Featherman – Avion  
__Jun Manjoume "Thunder" – Chazz Princeton  
__Daichi Misawa – Bastion Misawa_

_If I'm wrong about some of them, I'm sorry… I've gotten so used to the Japanese names that I've forgotten many of the minor dub names…_

_Asuryn is, in fact, one of Fubuki's pet names for Asuka. In fact, it's the name he chose as her stage name, should she decide to become an idol alongside him. (See episode 60 if you don't believe me.) I have been told by my sister that –ryn is similar to –chan, but I'm not sure that her sources are the most accurate, so… yeah. She knows far more than me though._

_My plot bunnies are really mean. They've been draining all of my inspiration for this in favor of random one-shots that make little to no sense. And chicken wire doesn't seem to hold them back. My sister is suggesting plexi-glass… anyway, the point of that was, I'm sorry for that long wait. Next chapter is a big battle scene, but I'll try to get it out soon…_


	4. Demonic Attack on Osiris Red

**Frozen in Darkness  
**by BridgitKiido

Disclaimer: I don't own GX. And I'd come up with something witty to say here, but I'm feeling somewhat brain dead at the moment, to be honest… no, wait, not to be Honest. To be truthful. Yes, truthful. I don't want to be Honest, because Honest is a jerk.

(…and if you caught the reference, good for you!)

* * *

Chapter 3  
_Demonic Attack on Osiris Red_

Daitoukuji led Asuryn and Daichi to a room somewhat in the center of the inn. It didn't look particularly special, but then, it made sense that the Prince wouldn't want to make his presence that well known. Knocking on the door, the man called, "Prince Sho, there are some travelers from Nordia who wish to speak with you privately, nya."

From behind the door came a response, "Please let them in, Daitoukuji."

With that, Daitoukuji opened the door and allowed the travelers in. As soon as they had entered, he exited the room and shut the door behind him. Yes, there was the possibility that they could be assassins, but it was supposed to be a private audience, and besides, the Prince could handle himself long enough for help to arrive.

"Welcome to Academia," Sho began after the door had closed. "It's unfortunate that the country isn't exactly in the best state of things at the moment, what with Darkness on the throne and all, but I thank you for coming to lend your aid."

"You're welcome, but you shouldn't thank us until Darkness is deposed," Asuryn replied. Her tone had slightly relaxed, though she did not remove her cloak.

"So, may I ask who in Nordia is interested enough in the affairs of Academia to offer their help at this time? After all, though our countries may have a truce at the moment, the terms of peace have yet to be signed."

Daichi interjected, "Your highness, if I may, that is the reason why we're here. Though the general Nordian public doesn't know about it yet, our beloved Blizzard Prince appears to have been either captured or killed by Darkness as well as the Kaiser. And if he isn't found, the public may very well blame the Academian government for his disappearance. And if I may, I doubt that either country truly has the resources to continue fighting pointlessly."

"Daichi!" Asuryn hissed in warning, but it was too late.

"So then, if you know about that, you're not of this general public that you were talking about, are you?" was Sho's response. "I understand if it's important to be kept a secret, but I would at least like to know what types of people are on my side."

Before either of them had the chance to attempt to come up with a response, however, the building shook. Daitoukuji burst into the room in a panic, clutching Pharaoh in his arms. "Prince Sho, I really hate to interrupt, but we're being attacked, nya!"

Upon hearing Daitoukuji's words, Sho immediately grabbed his sword from where it rested on a nearby nightstand before bowing quickly to his guests. "I'm sorry, but we'll need to continue our conversation another time." He then followed Daitoukuji quickly out of the room.

Daichi looked toward his companion. "Do we fight, my lady?"

The other didn't give any indication of a facial response, but instead replied, "Do you really need to ask? And I asked you to stop calling me that."

And the two of them left the room as well.

* * *

It was no mere earthquake. Just as Daitoukuji had implied, Osiris Red was under attack. Half of the main room was on fire, and though Judai had summoned one of his Elemental Armors – a water elemental named Bubble – who was busy putting out the flames, the fireballs kept coming, shaking the building's foundation even as they burned its walls. The ceiling was even collapsing slightly, and Hane was busy trying to keep the falling pieces from harming Ms. Tome. 

Sho immediately scanned the area for signs of what was attacking, and immediately he spotted them – three large, vaguely humanoid demons that resembled rocks covered in yellow and green flames, spewing their fires in huge orbs toward the inn.

He had to give Darkness some credit. The guy at least knew enough to attack powerfully at first, rather than in small, weak waves to test his enemy's power.

"This is the work of a warlock," Judai observed with disdain when he noticed the demons as well. "One who summons demon-type monsters temporarily and forces them to serve him without giving the obligations of a pact in return. They sicken me. They have no respect for the monsters they work with, none at all."

"And that one is attacking Osiris Red like this…" Thunder muttered, his tone reflecting his agreement with Judai's sentiments about warlocks. He called back toward the burning inn, "Yellow, Green, Black, get out here and help."

"Yes, Aniki!" came the sound of three voices responding to the call, and the three Ojamas ran out of the building to join Thunder. Though they seemed mildly scared, they didn't hesitate to help their Aniki in the least, likely partially due to their own beliefs that it would be better to be outside where one could at least avoid the fire.

As soon as the Ojamas were all present, Thunder began reaching into his jacket and told everyone else, "I'll take care of these. You all should work on making sure Osiris Red doesn't burn down." Then, after all of the other humans had nodded to his request, he addressed his Ojamas, "You three, assume Delta Formation S."

"Right, Aniki!" The Ojamas grabbed each other's hands until they were in a circle, each one of them facing outwards. Smiling, they each closed their eyes, or eye in the case of Green, and bent down as low as they could, at which time the three of them began to softly glow.

Thunder removed something from within his coat and began to recite,

"Lost souls of this world, hear my plea.  
I seek the services of three.  
Thy task, to kill my foes, will be,  
from within these carved capsules three.  
Thy reward of my blood shall be,  
and all required energy.  
These demons' deaths will set you free."

At this point, whatever spell the Ojamas were attempting had obviously been completed, as a large beam of energy descended from the heavens, anchoring itself on the ground in the middle of where the Ojamas stood.

Thunder smiled – somewhat smirk-like, but not quite – for a moment before opening his hand, revealing three small figures carved into dragon-like shapes from metal. They could almost have passed for robots in any world that had them, except there was no indication of any electrical wiring within them. "Ye wanderers, come! I call to thee!" he cried, sticking his hand with the three figures into the beam.

Upon touching the beam, the three figures immediately burst to life, their eyes glowing a soft blue. They then flew from the boy's hand toward the demons, which didn't have quite enough coordination to even attempt to swat them away. Each of them landed on a different demon and began to dig into the exterior with its claws. Though these demons seemed to be made of rock, the dragon-like things' claws were powerful enough to dig through the rock to the demons' cores.

As soon as each dragon reached the point where they had broken through the rock layer, they opened their mouths and began to spew bright red flames. The demons may have been covered in flames, but in reality, it was the rock layer that kept them from overheating, as their inner workings couldn't handle even minor increases in temperature, let alone the amount of the dragons' fire. And thus, the demons exploded from the inside, though no shards of rock caused damage as, upon their defeat, the terms of the warlock's summoning were completed, and they returned to their home dimension to recover.

Thunder collapsed to the ground, attempting to breathe as normally as possible in order to hide his exhaustion. "I guess I'm not used to doing three at once," he muttered, his arm shaking slightly as he clenched his fist in an attempt to close the three now-bleeding pricks on his hand, as well as to hide that they were even doing so. As the Ojamas brought the now lifeless metal creatures back to their Aniki (as the terms of the pact with the souls inside had been completed as well), however, he did manage to smile. "Thanks, you three."

Yellow bashfully rubbed the back of his head, saying, "Aww, it was nothing, Aniki." The other two nodded in agreement.

"Wow," Judai, who had been watching from the side-lines (there wasn't really much he could do to stop the flames other than summoning Bubble), interjected into the scene. "I've never seen anything like that before, Manjoume. How did you do that?"

"First of all," the boy replied as he pulled himself up and dusted off his jacket, "call me Thunder. And second, that's none of your business."

"Aw, and why not?"

Even if Thunder had felt like responding, he wouldn't have gotten the opportunity to do so. After all, with those demons defeated, one would hope that the one who summoned them, realizing the strength of their opponent, would retire to regroup and come back stronger another day, but unfortunately, no sooner was the first wave of demons defeated that a second wave of three demons appeared.

These monsters were different, however. Instead of vaguely human-shaped figures, these were monsters that looked like the children of horrid beasts and rogue dragons – one red, one yellow, and one blue. Before anyone could react, they fired their own attacks at Osiris Red, these being powerful beams of an unknown type of energy. Hane reacted in time to take most of the attack, but it was so strong that even the little puffball wound up fainting. (Judai immediately ran over to his Kobun's side to make sure, but Hane was merely exhausted, not injured.)

"There's only one warlock I know who's powerful enough to summon demons like those, nya…" Daitoukuji replied nervously, taking the opportunity to hide behind one of the still-standing walls as he fished some herbs and a vial out of his bag. Pharaoh was by his side, surprisingly not hissing at the cloaked figure with a long, white beard that had appeared behind the demons.

"Kagemaru," Sho murmured in shock. "So he's even begun to summon _them_…"

* * *

_Author's Note: The first set of demons are based off of the Infernals from World of Warcraft. Similarly, Manjoume's robots I visualize to be sort of like the Mechanical Dragonlings from the same game. The whole basis behind the warlock thing was also, come to think of it, from there as well, though Kagemaru lends himself pretty easily to such a distinction. Oh, and the second set of demons are the actual canon legendary demons that were sealed under Duel Academy. The dub calls them the "Sacred Beasts", which I've always been confused by. After all, they've always gone to extra lengths to leave out all references to any type of religion at all… I guess they think that the word "sacred" is better for children to hear than the word "demon"? Hnn…_

_Sorry for the longer-than-expected wait. My plot bunnies have been bugging me about other things lately, and school work (plus college applications) has left me little time to work on this… I'll get the next chapter out as soon as I can, but I can't promise any particular date. As usual, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask them in a review, though I might not answer depending on the level of the spoilers involved. After all, I want to keep some secrets._


	5. VS Kagemaru of the Stars

**Frozen in Darkness  
**by BridgitKiido

Disclaimer: All I own of GX is one copy of the English translation of volume 1 of the manga, which I will admit to editing a few names in with pencil. (Fubuki's dub name in particular gives me a headache.) I don't claim to own anything else though. And I'm not gaining any money from writing this, so please don't hurt me…

* * *

Chapter 4  
VS Kagemaru of the Stars

The cloaked figure had long, white hair, unusually long for a man of his apparent age, and the skin on his face had greatly wrinkled. It might be noted that his eyes appeared to be slightly on the blank side. But though Kagemaru appeared to be elderly, his age obviously hadn't put any strain on his ability to walk (though he used a cane) or his skills as a warlock, judging by the three giant demons by his side.

"So you are the ones who the Kaiser requested be eliminated," Kagemaru stated with a slight smile, even his voice showing signs of age. "I must say, I'm impressed. It's been a long time since I've had any need to summon these three, and here you are, having even survived their first attack."

"Who are you?" Judai demanded, a mildly defiant tone in his voice. It was mostly out of worry about Hane and annoyance at the person who had exhausted him, though his apparent dislike of warlocks certainly wasn't helping matters.

The white-haired man replied calmly, "I am Kagemaru, one of the seven Stars that serve and defend the Kaiser. He commands, and I obey."

"Load of good that defense did for the previous one," Thunder muttered from where he stood, his arm still shaking slightly. Whether anyone heard him or not was hard to determine.

Daichi walked forward and attempted to reason with him. "If you really are one of the Kaiser's protectors, then you should be more interested in helping us to overthrow Darkness, the usurper, not defending him."

Sho, however, had his hand on his sword. "It doesn't work like that," he warned timidly.

Kagemaru's response was simple. "The Kaiser has ordered me to kill you. Therefore, I will obey his command." And with that, he raised his arm in front of him, and his three demons attacked simultaneously, aiming toward the still-smoldering building.

Thunder's response was immediate. "Yellow, Green, Black. Assume Delta Formation D."

"Yes, Aniki!" The Ojamas arranged themselves in a circle facing out as before, except that this time, they leaned back as far as they could, the tops of their heads touching in the middle. The beam of energy came faster this time, and as the demons' energy came closer to Osiris Red, it seemed to dissipate on an invisible shield layer.

"We'll protect Ms. Tome and Osiris Red," Thunder stated, "and the spell will also improve everyone else's defenses, but I'm too exhausted at this point to do much else, and the Ojamas don't have any offensive capability."

Yellow, Green, and Black looked at their Aniki in a 'what's that supposed to mean?' kind of fashion, but only for a moment, as they returned their concentration to the beam they channeled.

"Thank you, Thunder," Sho replied, drawing his blade. A moment later, he addressed everyone, shortly and urgently saying, "Please, everyone, don't die if you can help it. Kagemaru is powerful enough to even hold his own against an army. If you think it's hopeless, get out of here."

He had fully expected at least someone to run as soon as he told that truth. However, instead, Asuryn stepped forward and drew a blade of her own – a wooden blade, but something about it made it clear that it was more than it seemed. "I knew the risks when I came, and I knew the fights would be difficult. If I was to back out now, that would only put myself, my country, and… my Prince to shame." The pause in her dialogue was short, but nonetheless existent.

As though in order to prevent any thinking about the matter of that pause, however, Daichi stepped forward as well. "And I, as well, would bring dishonor to our Prince if I were to flee."

Judai stepped forward as well, a mild grin on his face. "Why should I give up this early either, especially to a _warlock_ of all beings?" His hands were already detaching a pair of runes from his belt, even without looking – he apparently already had a battle plan of his own in mind. "I'll take the old man, if no one else has a problem with facing the demons."

Neither of the Nordians argued with Judai's suggestion, and Sho nodded, slightly on the nervous side, before turning back towards Kagemaru. "All right then, if you're all sure…"

"Are you finished talking yet?" Kagemaru asked, in more of an amused tone than anything.

This didn't faze Sho, however, who pointed his sword toward the enemy for a moment before crying, "For Academia!" And with that, he leapt forward to challenge one of the demons. Asuryn followed suit, attacking a different demon with her sword, which had suddenly burst to life in a flurry of vines and leaves that attempted to ensnare her foe. Daichi took the third demon, dodging its attacks skillfully but not pulling out a weapon just yet.

Thunder called out from his spot on the sidelines, "Lead the demons away from Kagemaru. If they're all together, they can help each other out, but they should be easier to fight one on one."

"Good idea, Thunder," Asuryn replied, taunting her demon to follow her away from the main area of the battle. Sho followed suit as well, as did Daichi.

They all fought hard. Sho attempted to pierce his opponent's tough skin with the metal of his sword while avoiding its attacks. Asuryn did the same, though she relied less on the strength of her wooden blade and more on her strange magic that could ensnare the demon. Daichi eventually stopped simply dodging his opponent's moves and, now with a full understanding of how it could or could not attack, began his own offensive strike, attacking his opponent with his bare fists, seemingly coated in a strange electrical energy.

They fought well, only sustaining minor injuries for the most part. However, while the humans became tired after a while, the demons seemed to have unlimited stamina and began to obtain the upper hand.

If this kept up, they were done for.

* * *

This, meanwhile, left Judai and Kagemaru, staring each other down. The latter nearly laughed and said, "Do you intend to attack me, child? If you attack, I will not hesitate to kill you."

Judai nearly smirked in return. "It's a mistake to underestimate my kobuns and me." He fanned three runed tablets in front of him and continued, "In true pacts, an Aniki has the support of his kobuns no matter where they are. However, when separated from their demons, a warlock is nothing."

He then raised the three runes in the air and cried, "By the conditions of our pact, I summon you! Elemental Armors Burst, Feather, and Spark!" As they were tossed and spun, they began to glow, and three armor-like monsters appeared, two of whom had been in the area before, and the third which was blue with yellow edges, sleek and apparently built for speed.

"Are you ready?" Judai asked the three armors, and once he had received nods from each one in reply, he cried out, "Then, merge!"

And with that, the armor monsters broke apart, reforming atop Judai's form. When it was through, he was covered in a material that appeared to be shining a light green glow, including from a pair of wings. The armor itself was shaped like it had been when only Burst and Feather had performed it, but it was obviously different this time.

"Impressive," Kagemaru stated without worry. "But I am not just any warlock. I am one of the Stars, and even without my demons by my side, I still will not hesitate to kill you."

And with that, the two of them began their battle, the Star utilizing his cane as a surprisingly powerful weapon. Judai, meanwhile, countered with his armored arms and took every chance he could to create a large burst of shining energy and attack, though he missed many times.

This battle went on for a long time, and soon Judai began to grow tired. However, he wouldn't let himself stop fighting. The moment that happened, he would be admitting defeat, at least in his own mind, and he would be accepting that warlocks were superior to those who made pacts the correct way. And he would never do that.

So, exhausted as he was, Judai countered the Star with one final attack: as large a burst of shining energy as he could summon forth from the elementals that he was fighting alongside. Judging by previous attempts in the battle, as well as what had been heard of Kagemaru's own strength, one might have thought it impossible for even this to have any effect on the Star.

However, by some miracle, this final attack did have an effect, and though Judai collapsed to the ground, exhausted, it soon became apparent that his opponent was in far worse shape. In fact, just before falling into unconsciousness, Judai thought he heard a voice whisper, "Thank you, child."

As Kagemaru's body seemingly dissolved into glittering dust that blew away on the wind and the demons, their master no longer around, vanished back to their home plane, a small red pendant, in the shape of a star, dropped to the ground where the Star had stood. Daitoukuji, deeming that it was safe to come out of hiding and administer the salves he had created, bent down to pick up the talisman, but decided against it, allowing his cat to do so instead.

"And this is only the beginning, nya," he muttered melancholically as he made his way toward the injured warriors.

* * *

Darkness scowled as he felt his connection with the first Star become severed; however, this scowl lasted only a moment.

"So," he stated as though thinking aloud, "it would appear there is a dangerous opponent coming. Possibly… no, likely multiple, if they were able to defeat him. Though how they managed that regardless is still a mystery." He chuckled a little bit before continuing, "Well, that's no matter. He might not have been able to take care of them, but I know who can."

In the city below Academia's castle, the streets were blanketed in a deep, dark fog. The citizens kept themselves hidden inside their homes, terrified for their lives as the fog, almost like a thick blanket of smoke, was only barely kept at bay by the buildings' walls. Even the Telefée, the small fairy monsters that brought messages for those who made pacts with them, were unable to fly without collapsing to the ground, unable to breathe. And food supplies were already running low.

Hope? Many of the citizens no longer knew the meaning of the word.

* * *

"Prince Sho…"

Sho had been sitting alone, writing down notes and thinking over the day's events. Ms. Tome had already called everyone in to dinner, and though even the Nordians, who had insisted on only staying the previous night, had accepted the invitation – Asuryn had decided that it might be a good idea to remain with those with whom they had a common enemy after all - Sho had yet to make an appearance at the table. (Judai was also not in attendance, but for good reason – he was still unconscious.)

However, he did look up when he heard his name. There stood Daitoukuji, whose face betrayed a feeling of worry that contrasted with the happy cat, still wearing the strange red pendant, that was asleep in his arms.

"Yes, Daitoukuji?" Sho replied.

Daitoukuji hesitated a moment before continuing, "I'm sorry, but I believe it's better for everyone if I don't accompany you any more, nya." When Sho's reply was a look of confusion, he amended, "Please don't misunderstand. I wish to see Kaiser Ryo restored to the throne as much as you do, nya. But judging by today, Darkness has already learned how to call the Stars, and…"

"Daitoukuji," Sho interrupted. "I was aware of that risk even the day I was named Brother's heir, and it's one I'm willing to take. If you're willing to give it, I would appreciate your help as far as you're able, even if that happens tomorrow. And I _do_ know how to defend myself if it comes down to that. So please, don't base your decision simply on my safety." He smiled a little bit, an attempt at a comforting smile. "And besides, we have allies now. They can take care of it if it does happen, but only if they know that it has."

Daitoukuji looked down toward the ground. "Okay then, if you're sure you still want my help, nya."

Sho stood up, closing his notebook. "I'm pretty sure I'll need all the help that I can get."

* * *

_Author's Note: The term Telefée is my own creation, though I'm thinking the species looks like the monster Dancing Fairy. They'll be more important later, maybe. (Spark is, of course, Sparkman, whose name never changed in the transfer between languages.)_

_Once again, I feel that I must apologize for how long this chapter took. That battle scene was difficult to write… I hope it didn't come out too pathetically. As for next chapter, I'll try and get it out when I can, but I can't make any guarantees for how long that one will take either. It will probably be easier though, come to think of it, since I'm not planning a battle there…_

_As per usual, feel free to ask any questions you want, and if it doesn't give away too much, I'll be more than happy to answer. I'd just be glad to know that you're reading this._


	6. Renewed Hope, The Stars Hearts

**Frozen in Darkness  
**by BridgitKiido

Disclaimer: I don't own GX. If I did… well, why would I be writing fanfiction about it, then? Think about it – if I owned it, what I wrote would be canon. This certainly isn't.

* * *

Chapter 5  
Renewed Hope - The Stars' Hearts

"So," Daichi asked, breaking the silence. "Who, or what, are the Seven Stars?"

It had been three days since Kagemaru had attacked Osiris Red, and in that time, Judai had almost entirely recovered his strength. Thunder had been quick to disappear into his assigned room in the inn and had barely been seen except for a few minutes at meal times. The rest of them had been busy rebuilding the parts of the building that had been completely destroyed in the attack. Right now, it was just after lunch, and the inn was almost completely rebuilt, so everyone was taking a short break.

Daitoukuji was the one to answer the Nordian's question. "Well, as you're aware, Academia and Nordia were both founded almost a thousand years ago, nya. The first Kaiser was a rather intelligent man, and he decided that, rather than base the inheritance of the throne on family blood, because that could become weak after a time, the next Kaiser would be chosen by the previous one, and be trained to handle the Kaiser's responsibilities, nya. Then, when one Kaiser stepped down, the next would be granted full responsibility, nya."

Pharaoh mewed contently as Daitoukuji scratched just behind his ears. Judai, with Hane sleeping peacefully on his head, commented, "That sounds good in theory, but it seems to me that it's kind of weak. I mean, an assassin could easily come in during the night, kill the Kaiser when he's sleeping, and usurp the throne, just like right now."

"Brother isn't dead," Sho responded immediately. "If he was, I would know. I'm the heir to the throne, after all."

Daitoukuji nodded before continuing, "A system was also put into place where someone could temporarily assume the Kaiser's responsibilities if he became incapable of ruling for a time, but was unwilling or unable to fully give them up, nya. There is little doubt that Darkness has likely done something to remove both Kaiser Ryou and the Blizzard Prince from the picture, at least enough that they can't interfere and the substitution is applicable, nya."

Asuryn's hand visibly clenched itself, though her face, still hidden under her hood, remained invisible and therefore unreadable.

"However, this system does have its flaws, as you said, Judai, nya," Daitoukuji continued.  
"In order to make there be as few as possible, the first Kaiser gathered together seven champions from the humanoid races, nya. He made pacts with all seven of these champions, granting them immortality and increasing their abilities a hundred fold, but requiring them to pledge eternal loyalty and service to every Kaiser that would come after, to protect them with their lives, nya."

"Immortality?" Asuryn mused. "But Kagemaru…"

"Not immortality in the sense that they cannot be killed, nya," Daitoukuji replied. "Immortality, in this case, means that they can never permanently die, nya. They can be killed, as you have seen, but the next Kaiser can perform a ritual to 'call' them, or summon them to do something, nya."

"That's awful," Judai spoke up. "They have to do it, and they don't have a say in the matter?"

Daitoukuji shrugged almost knowingly. "Each made the decision to become a Star of their own free will, nya. They knew what would be expected of them, and they accepted it, each one of them, nya." His eyes dropped. "Usually though, the Kaiser allows the Stars to have at least a little bit of free will, so that they can act as advisors and warn when decisions are unwise, nya. From what I've seen, it looks as though Darkness had drained most, if not all, of Kagemaru's free will, nya." He paused for a moment before continuing thoughtfully, "However, this may work to our advantage, nya. Each Star's power is connected to their own will to use it to protect the Kaiser, nya… and when there is a situation in which there is a substitute Kaiser, the Stars still must listen to them, but depending on their willingness to cooperate, their strength can lower in this situation, nya."

"So, does that mean…" Sho began.

Daitoukuji smiled softly and closed his eyes. "Kagemaru had always been wary of letting Ryou become Kaiser when he was so young, nya. But to hold back his power as much as he was… Kagemaru is on our side, and I have no doubt that the other Stars are as well, nya."

Everyone smiled, but then after a moment, Judai asked, "Wait. Daitoukuji, how do you know so much about the Stars?"

Daitoukuji and Sho glanced at each other, the former worriedly, but they were saved from replying by a loud crash from the upper floor, which caused everyone to jump slightly. This was followed by a long string of curses in a familiar voice, followed by the source of that voice exiting the room, slamming the door shut, and muttering various incoherent things to himself as he walked down the stairs.

"Ms. Tome?" Thunder finally stated when he reached the bottom of the stairs. "I'm going out to the scrap heap again."

Ms. Tome smiled from where she was chopping vegetables in the corner and replied, "All right then. Just don't hurt yourself."

"What happened, Manjoume?" Judai asked, standing up and making as though he was going to follow the black-haired boy.

"First of all," he corrected, "it's Thunder. And I just discovered that because of a certain trio of clumsy helpers of mine, I don't have enough black iron available." He walked out the door, and Judai decided to follow him.

"What do you need black iron for?" the brunette asked as they walked, Hane still calmly sleeping on his head.

Thunder replied simply, "You've seen how I fight. I'm not going to explain how I do it, especially not to someone that I've only known for about a week. However, I realized during the battle against Kagemaru that we're going to need all the help we can get if we're going to save the Kaiser and Academia. And as you've seen, I've got limited stamina. I can't activate more than two or three at any given time without needing to rest for a while, and future battles might need more than just what you were all able to do. So, it hit me – I'll make one that's more permanent than that."

Judai was listening carefully, and he nodded. "So you're making one that can be reused without that small ritual?"

"No," was the reply. "That particular type, they're only good for one attack each, due to the amount of energy needed for the fire. However, I'm making one that will act almost as an extra member of our little party. It won't have any special powers, like fire or anything like that, but it'll be able to stick around as long as is necessary to defeat Darkness once and for all. Black iron is the metal that I need in order to finish its outer armor."

"That sounds cool!" Judai smiled. "Can I see it?"

Thunder smirked slightly as they reached the scrap heap. He picked up a chunk of a black metal, examined it, deemed it to be satisfactory, and handed it to Judai. "Sure, you can see what I've got done so far. Do me a favor though, and help me carry some of this back."

* * *

"Just wondering, what type of attack was it that you used during the fight with Kagemaru, Asuryn?"

Thunder's sudden appearance had driven the question of the Stars from most people's minds. Really, Daitoukuji was kind of happy about that. He didn't want to know what the others in the room would say if he was to tell him that he himself was one of the Stars, and he didn't think they'd exactly believe him even if he explained that a Star had to be 'called' before they could be forced to serve the current Kaiser.

Asuryn responded to Sho's question by drawing her wooden blade. "As I told you, Brother taught me how to fight with a sword, and I also know a little magic. Specifically, I have an affinity for plants and plant matter, even if it's long dead." She closed her eyes, and immediately her sword became surrounded in thorned vines, with a blue rose bursting from the tip. "It's rather helpful, since it helps to slow down opponents and stuff. And I can make fruit with it, so food is never a problem."

Something about the blue rose reminded Sho of a faraway place a long time ago, back when he hadn't had to worry about war, or politics, or the fate of an entire kingdom… of a time when things had been simpler.

_Lookit, Sho! Look at what I can do! Brother showed me how to do it, though mine's different than his._

Deciding that he would talk to Asuryn later, in private, he nodded. "I see." Then, turning to Daichi, he asked, "And what about you?"

The Nordian smiled almost proudly before producing from his pocket a pair of small metal rods. "I created them myself. When I grip them tightly, their materials are warmed just enough to create a powerful electrical current that runs through my hands. I've trained for years to master them, so they don't hurt." He added a slight "anymore" under his breath before continuing, "But I don't use them unless I know where to strike first. That's why I always take the time to analyze my opponent's movements and determine their weak spot."

Judai and Thunder returned to Osiris Red at this time, each of them carrying a small pile of black iron scraps. As soon as both of them had gone upstairs and into Thunder's room, Asuryn asked, "How do you two fight, Sho, Daitoukuji?"

Sho replied, "Well, I really just use my sword. I have a little bit of power that I inherited from simply being the Kaiser's heir, but I'm not very good with it yet, and when it appears is unreliable at best. It's crystal magic, just like that of every Kaiser."

"As for me," Daitoukuji replied while giving Pharaoh more attention, "I can make healing salves, and oils and incense that increase people's stamina, but really, I'm pathetic when it comes to fighting. I'm just a simple alchemist." He mostly just hoped that they wouldn't catch on that he wasn't telling the whole truth.

* * *

"Lights, please," Thunder stated, and the Ojamas quickly obliged, scrambling over to the lamps at the corners of the room and lighting them.

When there was sufficient light in the room to see, there appeared at the center the form of what could best be described as a draconic wolf. Its basic form was canine, with powerfully built legs and an arched muzzle. However, about half of it was covered in what appeared to be black scales, like those rumored to cover the skin of the dragons of old. Its tail was also somewhat on the dragon-like side; instead of giving the appearance of being even the slightest bit furry, it was scaled and even had a small arrowhead-like shape on the end. Where its eyes would be was a large, empty hole that extended through the entire head, though that appeared to be easily remedied by a large, white stone nearby, the sides of which were cut to be approximately the shape of the edges of the hole.

"Obviously, it's not quite finished yet," Thunder said with a decidedly proud air, "but when it is, it will serve five purposes. The first is to _k_eep the heir to the Kaiser's throne alive and protected. The second, to _i_ncrease the offensive and defensive power of this party of ours, so that we actually stand a chance at saving the Kaiser. Third, its relatively small size will allow us to _o_btain access to important areas and supplies that might be heavily guarded – it will be hard to notice until it is too late. Fourth, its hollow body will allow us to _k_eep important supplies stored without encumbering anyone, since its design allows it to continue moving as though it wasn't carrying anything... at least, unless it's carrying something so heavy that the black iron buckles around it, but that will be avoided. And finally, its fifth purpose is ultimately to _u_ndermine Darkness' power and remove him from the throne.

"Judai, say hello to Kioku."

Judai was in awe. "Wow, Manjoume. That's awesome! I can't wait to see it in action."

"Thunder," the boy corrected. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to be the only human in here while I work."

"All right," Judai replied, and he left the room.

* * *

Several more days passed, during which Thunder continued to remain holed up inside his room, not pausing in his work on Kioku except at mealtimes and to sleep at night. The other guests finished rebuilding Osiris Red, and a few discussions had occurred to determine what the best plan of action would be. After all, they couldn't exactly stay here, now that Darkness knew they were here.

One evening, shortly after dinner, Daitoukuji was softly playing on the piano, while the Nordians were talking secretly in a locked room. Judai was the only other person in the lounge area, where he was watching Hane and Pharaoh play with each other.

Unexpectedly, Osiris Red received a guest. She was a rather pretty woman, with long, minty-green hair covering mildly pointed ears. She wore sunglasses over her, admittedly slightly blank, reddish eyes, and a scarlet dress underneath her similarly-colored traveling cloak.

She sat down at one of the stools at the bar and asked Ms. Tome if she could have one of the famous milkshakes that she'd heard about, and Ms. Tome went off to go make one with a smile.

Judai stood up and smiled, walking over to the new guest and saying, "You'll like Ms. Tome's milkshakes, miss. They're the best in the world."

"Really…" the mysterious woman replied as she looked Judai over, though her tone might have suggested that she wasn't speaking about milkshakes anymore. "Well, it looks like I came to the right place after all."

* * *

_Author's Note: Kioku is Japanese for memory. Don't ask me why I named it that – I thought it sounded pretty. No new canon names to provide translations for this chapter, though._

_I'm proud of myself that I got this chapter out quickly. But please don't expect this to become any kind of routine. After all, this week has been exam week, and due to how my school's exams work, I had to stay after for a long time, which is what gave me the time to work on this. Suffice it to say that I probably won't get the next chapter out for a little while probably. (Especially because it's the battle with Camulla.)_

_Please do feel free to ask questions if you're confused, and if it's not something that I really don't want to spoil, I'll answer it to the best of my ability. …And heck, even if you don't have any questions, I would highly appreciate if you leave a review. I'm writing this because I want to, but it's always nice to know that other people are reading and enjoying my work._


	7. Memory of Those Who Came Before

**Frozen in Darkness  
**by BridgitKiido

Disclaimer: I don't own GX. I really don't.

* * *

Chapter 6  
Memory of Those Who Came Before

"There – now there's only one thing left to do."

Thunder smirked as he stood up, stretched his back a bit, and admired the finished product. Most onlookers might have thought that the extensive amount of detail that he had put in was a bit on the excessive side, but he wanted to make sure that everything was absolutely perfect. After all, one tiny bit of extra metal getting in the way could spell the difference between deflection and penetration of its armor.

That, and he prided himself on the artistic quality of his work.

The armored creature known only as Kioku stood there motionless still, but its body was complete, and its black, draconic scales glimmered in the lamplight almost as though the lupine figure was giving off an aura of its own. Complete, that was, except for the hole that went through the head, where the eyes would be on either end. But that was purposeful – that was what Thunder needed in order to complete it.

He picked up the stone that he had finished carving just the night before and looked it over to make sure that it was also perfect. He had been lucky to be able to find a moonstone – a type of uncommon gem said to grant luck to those who kept it on them – as large as this one at a trading post one time when he had been running an errand for Ms. Tome, and luckier still that it had such a pure coloration to it – white, but with a blue shine to it when the light hit it just so. This type was the one that he worked best with, the type that he preferred to use for all of his projects.

Though not even Thunder had any clue why, it was the type which souls attached to the easiest, for some reason.

Most people in Academia or Nordia at this time believed that when humans or monsters died, their souls disappeared into a sort of next world. There was, on occasion, the oddball that decided to proclaim that reincarnation existed, but these theories were generally ignored in the face of the belief that souls went straight to this next, peaceful world after death.

Thunder was an avid believer of this, except for one small detail – he _knew_ that most of them didn't go straight there. Instead, they first waited in a dimension parallel to the one that they had lived in, a sort of limbo-like area, until enough time had passed that their connections to the world of the living had all but severed and they were ready to move on. And it was while they were in this dimension that they could still be called upon to help.

Of course, not everyone could summon spirits from beyond the grave like this and bind them to crystals of moonstone. In fact, Thunder was pretty sure he was the only one he knew who could. As such, there had been no one to teach him – in fact, he had discovered his power by accident – so he had developed his style himself. And he had transcended the normal abilities of those who made pacts in many ways, actually. After all, _their_ pacts, once made, were unbreakable until the rune binding it was destroyed. His, on the other hand, could be created with limits, setting the souls free after a certain goal had been reached. Especially useful because, he had learned, crushing the moonstone that bound the soul was not only a waste of a moonstone that could be re-carved and re-used, but also extremely painful for the soul it was bound to.

All it took was carving the moonstone exactly right, summoning a lost soul by means of an incantation, and binding it to the stone using his own blood. Then, if the stone was inserted into a larger body, such as a hollow, jointed, metal creature, it would have full control of that mass of metal until the pact's terms were complete, at which time the soul would disappear.

(Not that he didn't have a bit of a gift for making regular pacts himself – the Ojamas were certainly living monsters, not metallic creations.)

The fire-breathing dragons were some of Thunder's favorites. He had worked exceptionally hard on perfecting them, and by simply tuning them up whenever they broke (which was, admittedly, somewhat often), they could be reused without removing the stones for a different carving. Their shells weren't made from black iron – instead, they were made from normal steel, not quite as durable, but lighter weight. If he could rely solely on them, he would. Unfortunately, however, the blood requirement could be draining when too many rituals, even smaller ones, were performed at once or in succession, and he would rather not be useless at an inconvenient time again if he could help it.

He went over the binding words he had prepared one more time in his head – not that he usually had any problem with doing so, but he had to get them exactly right or else something was bound to go wrong. But, satisfied that he had them completely memorized, he said aloud, "Yellow, Green, Black, it's time. Prepare to assume Delta Formation S."

"Right, Aniki," the three of them chimed, standing up from the small game they had been playing by the wall and walking carefully over to the work area. They were extra careful this time, knowing that if they broke something now, not only would Thunder be extremely mad at them, but it would also most likely take at least another week before it would be fixed and ready again, and who knew if they had that long.

A sudden loud crash, a chorus of yells, and a bit of a shaking of the floor reminded them of that, as well as indicating that something was wrong downstairs. Thunder looked up from where he had knelt on the ground and, understanding what had happened immediately, muttered sardonically, "Great. We're under attack _now_, of all times."

Yellow steadied himself carefully on a bench before asking, "Do you want to wait, Aniki? They probably need our help down there right now."

"No," Thunder replied, turning back toward the black iron wolf. "They can hold their own for a little while – long enough for this to be done, anyway. And like I said before, we need all of the help we can get if we're going to help the Kaiser." He took the moonstone in his hand and felt its weight one more time. "Here's the plan, you three. For the ritual, assume Delta Formation S. Then, after it's done and I open the door, switch to D. Can you do that?"

"Yes, Aniki!" The three Ojamas made a salute before scrambling – carefully – into the circle they would need to assume.

Thunder smirked proudly for a second, but then he turned seriously back to the task at hand, moonstone in one hand, knife in the other.

_You had all better be able to hold your own until this is finished.

* * *

_Of course the second of the Stars would attack without warning. Of course this attack would come after dinner, when the sun was going down and the only light came from now mostly extinguished lamps, making it difficult to see. 

And of course the Star would only attack _after_ finishing the milkshake she had ordered and paying for it. Well, at least they couldn't claim that all of her values had been stripped away by Darkness…

"I am Camulla, the second Star in the service of the Kaiser," the green-haired lady had introduced herself after her initial attack, summoning a giant bat companion which had destroyed all of the lamps… and, in fact, almost everything in the room. (Except for the piano – Pharaoh had taken the attack that had been aimed in that direction. That cat had amazing regenerative abilities, it seemed, to be able to take an attack like that but walk out of the room two seconds later, completely unharmed and as though nothing had happened.)

"_I call upon the lost souls of this world:  
__Hear my plea, and come to my aid!"_

"I'm surprised," Camulla continued. "Kagemaru could be defeated by mere children, and this few of them? If this is true, then there is little wonder why the Kaiser sees you as such a threat, but the concept is laughable."

Judai glared at her, his arm automatically reaching toward his belt. "Why are you supporting Darkness when Sho is the actual heir, and the real Kaiser is still alive? Do you really believe that Darkness is better?"

"I told you, it doesn't work like that!" Sho responded automatically, his own arm reaching for his sword.

"_I am called Thunder, and I seek the services of a soul  
__to serve me in battle from within this stone."_

Camulla's answer was a simple shrug. "What I believe means nothing. He is the Kaiser, and so I must obey his wishes." She reached out her arm, upon which landed her bat companion. "He currently wants all of you killed. Therefore, you have two options. If you give yourselves up peacefully, I will kill you swiftly and painlessly. If not, your deaths will be excruciatingly painful. And even if you attempt to fight me, don't expect to win – it's only fair to warn you, I am of the Tepeshi."

"Tepeshi?" Daichi asked, not in confusion as to the meaning of the term. "I thought they went extinct centuries ago."

"Most did," Sho clarified, his voice admittedly shaking slightly, "but remember, the first Kaiser formed the Seven Stars before that happened."

"_For serving me until Darkness is vanquished from Academia,  
__thy payment will be a portion of my own blood."_

_A wince as a knife cuts into flesh, a drip of blood onto stone._

Asuryn drew her sword anyway, any emotions that her face might have expressed still hidden beneath her cloak. "So the second of the Stars can't be killed by one of purely mortal flesh. That says nothing for her bat. And Judai, I've read enough to know that the Elemental Armors are hardly mortal monsters."

"Can you and your Armors battle Camulla on your own while we defeat her bat?" Sho asked Judai, who gave a nod as a response. Though, it wasn't a nod of complete and utter faith that he would be able to finish it – just that he would do his best.

Before anyone could react, however, the bat took off once again. Hane protected the last lamp left standing in the room from its assault, but the sheer pressure of the winds created from the bat's wings allowed no one to move. Camulla took advantage of this moment of incapacitation to appear next to Sho.

"_Soul known in this pact as Kioku,  
__Answer my call and bind thyself to this stone!"_

"You get special treatment, renegade heir. Though you would fight, I will grant you a swift death." And with that, her jaws opened – her intent was apparently to bite into Sho's neck and snap it. A quick death of suffocation, blood loss, and a broken brain stem.

Sho closed his eyes, unable to draw his sword and even attempt to defend himself. _Sorry, Brother_, he thought as he waited for the inevitable.

…Only it never came, as Camulla's fangs, rather than sinking into soft flesh, hit hard metal instead.

When Sho dared to open his eyes, he found that the entire room was shimmering as though enclosed inside of a large beam of energy. Camulla had leapt back, a look of mild amusement on her face as she stared down a newcomer – a black wolf-like creature, covered in black scales like those of a dragon, its eyes glowing a brilliant crimson as it bared its teeth.

"How interesting," the second of the Stars stated. "So you have another ally."

"Who are you?" Misawa asked the newcomer, finally recovering long enough to grasp his rods.

Judai merely smiled upon seeing the wolf. "All right! Looks like Manjoume managed to finish, and just in time!"

"Thunder," a voice called, slightly on the weak side, from the top of the stairs, where the black-haired boy had managed to drag himself to view the battle – he was obviously drained from his efforts, his skin even more pale than it usually was, and even the effort to move himself to the door to open it and let Kioku out to join the battle had been exhausting.

"I am known as Kioku," the wolf said in a male voice as he walked slowly closer to Camulla, his stride meant to be on the intimidating side. "I serve Thunder, my Aniki, until Darkness is defeated and the conditions of our pact are fulfilled. The tasks I have been charged with are to protect the true heir to the Kaiser's throne, and to aid in the defeat of any and all who would serve Darkness and oppose the allies of the true Kaiser and his heir."

His head turned toward Judai, and his red eyes stared into Judai's before he continued, "You no longer need to fight alone against Camulla. I will help you in your fight."

"All right then," Judai nodded before unclipping two of his runes from his belt. "In that case, shall we?"

And he tossed the runes into the air.

* * *

_Author's Note: Tepeshi are supposed to be equivalent to vampires, kind of, except that they don't drink blood. Their species name is derived from Tepesh, as in Vlad Tepesh, also known as Dracula._

_The words of the pact between Thunder and Kioku are inspired slightly by those of the pact made in Hiromu Arakawa's one-shot manga, "Stray Dog". …Heck, that's where the whole idea of pacts was inspired from, really._

_As usual, any questions, concerns, constructive criticism, or even just a random statement saying that you liked this story is always appreciated in a review. Questions will all be answered eventually, either in an author's note or within the story itself (though perhaps not right away)._


	8. The Next Destination

**Frozen in Darkness  
**by BridgitKiido

Disclaimer: I don't own GX. Season 4 probably would have been longer if I did.

* * *

Chapter 7  
The Next Destination

In the throne room of Academia's castle, Darkness winced slightly as he felt his mental connection with Camulla sever. What had happened was quite obvious, and expected enough that it didn't faze him in the least. There were five more Stars, after all – he'd just have to send them more creatively.

There was one thing that was puzzling, however. Though he was unable to actually view the battles (he would have liked to have seen the bloodshed, but unfortunately no form of his would physically allow it), his orders for Kagemaru and Camulla to attack were more than just an attempt to destroy his enemy. He had spent both battles reading auras, in an attempt to determine what exactly this resisting force was made of. And in this latest battle, he had even managed to determine two familiar ones – that of the heir to Academia, and that similar to one of the blood of Nordian royalty. Yes, Darkness knew that second one _very_ well.

The aura of the being that had dealt the finishing blow to Camulla, however… He hadn't noticed that one in prior attacks, meaning it had to be a new ally. And yet, there was something particular about it. He couldn't put his finger on what, but he knew he had to be careful of that one.

_But_, Darkness mused as he smirked once again, _it's not as though they stand a chance even then._

After all, even if the Stars were destroyed, he doubted that the resisting force would be willing to kill the citizens of Academia themselves.

* * *

As far as Sho was concerned, the battle with Camulla could have gone better in the middle, but it was the ending that counted, and it had ended quite well. As soon as the draconic wolf Kioku had appeared, everything seemed to go smoothly. Judai, thinking that his own mortal flesh would get in the way, had asked Burst and Spark to fight without him, which they had alongside Kioku. And really, had it not been for the wolf, he doubted that they would have survived.

He didn't know how Thunder had made him, but he'd have to thank him later, when the boy was awake.

For the moment, however, there were more pressing matters. Though a small purple pendant was all that remained of the second of the Stars, if it hadn't been apparent before, it was obvious now that Darkness knew where they were, and he was likely to send more Stars after them. And to be perfectly honest, Sho wasn't so sure they'd be able to handle another attack right now.

"So we have no choice – we have to go somewhere else," were his words to the group (sans the sleeping Thunder) the next night over dinner. "And we have to leave as soon as we can. If we stay here, the other Stars are likely to defeat us. By running, they'll have to spend some extra time searching, during which we can regroup."

Pharaoh meowed sleepily on Daitoukuji's lap as the man petted his cat, a serious look on his face. He appeared to want to say something, but he decided not to comment.

"So where will we go?" Judai asked, holding a sleeping Hane in his own arms. "Darkness probably has spies in the major cities, and quite a few of the minor towns have been ravaged by the monsters he controls."

"And crossing the Nordian border is out of the question," Asuryn commented. "If the population discovers that our Blizzard Prince is in danger, they will surely consider it an act of war on Academia's part, and then all of the peace negotiations will have been for nothing."

Daichi muttered something under his breath about how a certain now-deceased king was a complete and utter idiot, but one apparent glare (or at least a look – it was hard to tell, with the hood) from Asuryn made him quiet.

"If I may," Daitoukuji spoke up, "I suggest we go to the Obelisk, nya. The Oracle there might be able to give us some advice about what to do next, and the area is sacred ground, unapproachable by those meaning to cause harm to it, so Darkness won't have been able to take it over, nya."

Sho looked at Daitoukuji and smiled. "That's right, I forgot about that place. That's where Brother went for his coronation – the Oracle could help us."

"Well then," Judai said, standing up, "let's got there! Even if the Oracle can't help us, it will at least throw Darkness off our tails for a while."

"Is everyone in agreement?" Sho asked, and after all at the table had nodded, he did so as well. "In that case, as soon as Thunder feels well enough to travel, we'll leave for the Obelisk."

* * *

"Thanks, Ms. Tome, for everything." Judai reached out and hugged the owner of Osiris Red, and though he knew it might possibly be for the last time, he didn't show that.

"It's never a problem, Judai," was Ms. Tome's response. "Just be careful, all right? And come back soon, so I can meet any new friends you make along the way."

"I will, Ms. Tome," Judai replied with a smile as he ran off to rejoin the others, who had been gathering at the stable. Nearly all of them had ridden horses here, and so they would leave on their horses as well, Bubble staying behind momentarily to wash away all traces of their passing through.

Of course, Judai didn't ride a horse. Not once in the entire time Ms. Tome had known the boy had she seen him on one; he always preferred to walk to Osiris Red, no matter how great the distance he had to travel, at least so far as she could tell.

But walking was hardly an option, and apparently Judai knew that, for as Ms. Tome watched the party begin to leave, the boy summoned a large black hound, roughly the size of a small horse. She'd seen that particular monster before – Friendog, the monster Judai had brought with him the very first time he had come.

So he did know how to ride, even if his mount wasn't a horse. Well, that was one of the things that Ms. Tome liked most about Judai – with him around, you tended to learn something new every day.

* * *

"Hey, Kioku, can I ask you something?"

It was late in the evening, and having made as much progress as they had, the group had set up camp in the middle of the plains they were traveling. By Daichi's estimates, they were about half a day's journey from the Obelisk by now, and it was better to be rested if one of the Stars should catch up to them on the road than to be exhausted and still running. Yellow, however, was hardly tired, which was why he decided to start a conversation with his Aniki's newest Kobun.

The black wolf had been staring into space until he heard Yellow's question, but he then turned toward the Ojama and replied, "Sure, if you want. What do you want to ask?"

Yellow's question was simple. "Could you tell me your real name?"

"My real name?"

"Yeah. The name you had in life, before you became a wandering soul. I like to keep track of the names of the ones Aniki makes pacts with, just in case I ever meet them again."

Kioku tilted his head for a moment, thinking. Then, he shook his head in reply. "If I had one, I don't know what it is."

Yellow gasped in surprise. "You mean, you've forgotten it? All of the souls Aniki has ever made pacts with before remembered their real names." Thinking for a moment, he then asked, "Well then, can you tell me anything about yourself? What you were in life, then?"

Kioku shook his head again. "I don't know. If I existed before, I can't remember that time."

"You mean you don't remember anything about before Aniki made his pact with you?"

He thought for a moment, and then Kioku replied, "There's one thing I remember, vaguely." He made a motion that was almost like shivering, though it seemed slightly awkward to see a metal wolf doing that. "A pain, somewhere, something black, and something really cold."

Yellow's face expressed his sympathy. "I see. Maybe the reason you don't remember is because it hurts too much."

"Maybe," Kioku replied. "But I don't really like the feeling of not remembering, either." He looked toward Yellow hopefully. "Do you think you could try to help me find out, over time?"

"Of course!" Yellow replied enthusiastically. "If there's anything I can do to help you remember, I promise, I will do what I can."

"Thanks," Kioku said cheerfully. After a short pause to think for a moment, he asked, "So, what's been happening in this country, anyway? All I know is that which was specified in the pact – that the Kaiser's throne was usurped, and the goal is to protect Prince Sho, defeat Darkness, and restore the government to how it was. But what would have given the opportunity for the usurpation in the first place?"

Yellow's response was, slightly surprisingly to the wolf, somewhat casual. "Well, I don't know about that, but there'd been a war going on for a while, actually. Academia and Norida had been at war ever since the last Nordian King came to power – the one before the current Blizzard Prince, that is. I don't know the reason behind it – I think he may be the only one who knew, really. But it was as though one day, the two lands were best friends, and the next they were fighting a twelve year war over something or another." He smiled slightly. "Though, I guess the only reason why I met Aniki is because of the war, really."

"How so?"

"Well, Green, Black and I, we lived on the outskirts of a small town for a while. Keeping out of too much trouble with the local law, living off what we could find and table scraps from the villagers. Not the best life, but when you're an oddly colored Ojama bug, you take what you can get. But then, one day, some of the people in one of the armies came through – not sure what side they were, and I never really cared to ask. All I know is that they tried to capture everyone in the village, including the monsters. I managed to escape, but Green and Black were caught." Yellow shivered a little. "It was really scary and lonely, all by myself, not knowing if my brothers were all right. But then I found Aniki, who was running from the army just like me. Except he wasn't running because they were trying to take him as a prisoner…"

"Running from the army?" Kioku tilted his head. He didn't know what to make of it. "Can't you get in trouble for doing that?"

"Maybe," Yellow replied, deciding not to ask where Kioku remembered that from – it was good that he remembered it, at the very least. "But from what he told me, his older brothers had forced him to join the Nordian army in their place, and he was so disgusted by some of the torture that some of the officials did to the prisoners that he couldn't stand it. And yet they wouldn't leave, so he had to run.

"But anyway, that's where I met him, and he agreed to help me find my brothers and free them from their captives. And so that happened, and when we got back to our village, it was burned to the ground, so Aniki agreed to take us as his Kobuns. We've been wandering ever since. I think the war stopped a few months ago, when the old King of Nordia died. The Blizzard Prince – never did learn his name, but he's the next one in line to take the throne there – didn't want to fight anymore, so he decided to go for peace talks and left his younger sister, the Blue Princess – don't know her name either – to take care of the country while he was gone. Or at least, that's what I've heard." Yellow shrugged a little. "But Aniki usually doesn't stay in one place for very long to hear the news – actually, the first place he's stayed at for long in a while was Osiris Red."

Kioku hummed slightly in understanding. "Wow, the two countries' political situation sounds messed up. A war for twelve years…"

* * *

The rest of the people who tended the shrine knew that Sara wasn't the same as them. Her pointed ears made that fact obvious. If she was to travel too far north, she would probably be killed on sight – such a law came with being a Kuroten, one of the proud elf-like humanoids of the world that had somehow managed to win a death wish with the government.

But the massacres of the past were hardly important to the present, and right now, Sara was in the middle of the afternoon chores. The shrine needed to be swept clean every day, whether anyone came or not, and doing so was her job. It was harder than it looked, but she had done it for years now, and was used to it.

It was usually a fairly mundane job, but this particular day, something interesting occurred. She was sweeping the top steps as she usually did, preparing to make her way down the stairs, when she spotted something out in the distance.

It was, admittedly, out in the middle of nowhere, more or less, and a grassy plain extended out for miles in just about any direction. From this high up, however, it was possible to see far distances, and in the distance, coming from the eastern horizon, was a band of travelers.

And of course, they would have to stay for the night. There was nowhere else that was settled for miles, and it was too close to night to travel that far.

She finished her sweeping quickly, abandoning her usual perfectionist approach for a combination of efficiency and practicality. And as soon as she was done, she put her broom carefully away before running to her teacher's home to tell him.

It wasn't every day that the Obelisk had guests.

* * *

_Author's Note: In the English dub, Friendog is renamed Wroughtweiler for some obscure reason. Sara, meanwhile, has the dub name of Yasmin. Kuroten comes from Kuro, "black", and Ten, "heaven"._

_My apologies for the lack of an actual scene for the battle against Camulla, if you were looking forward to that. It wasn't flowing properly at all to attempt to write that out completely._

_I apologize also for the longer-than-normal wait for this chapter. I wanted to have this chapter out on Wednesday, to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the submission of the prelude, but that didn't happen. …But oh well. Either way, happy one year of Frozen, everyone!_

_As usual, if you have any questions, any at all, please feel free to ask in a review, and I will do my best to answer them, whether in an author's note or an upcoming chapter._


	9. White Dragon Oracle

**Frozen in Darkness  
**by BridgitKiido

Disclaimer: I don't own GX. It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi, who is a brilliant man. I'm just a teenage girl finishing up high school.

* * *

Chapter 8  
White Dragon Oracle

The town below the Obelisk had been a lot busier, the last time Sho had been there.

Now, granted, it was a rather tiny town, barely large enough for those who lived there, and last time he had been there, it had been for his brother's coronation, and therefore almost everyone in the country had come, hoping to get a glimpse of the new Kaiser before he retreated to the palace to work out a new plan of action that would, hopefully, end the war that had plagued them for an entire decade at that point.

(Though it was a stupid war, really. One day the former Blizzard King of Nordia had sent troops onto Academian soil, and he wouldn't remove them or say what he had sent them for. No one ever doubted that Kaiser Samejima's decision had been wise, but no one had wanted the war, either – the countries had been close friends ever since they had been founded a millennium before. Many legends even stated that the first Blizzard King and the first Kaiser were good friends who worked closely together to make sure that their countries were built to help each other – even the stories that didn't claim friendship admitted mutual respect.)

But to see the town as it usually was, so deserted… the heir of Academia would have wondered if they were in the right place, if it weren't for the towering structure in the center – a large, bluish-white pillar, pointed at the top, with a square base carved to open into a cave-like catacomb. At the very peak stood a statue of a white dragon, its wings unfurled as though it was ready to lift off and fly away at any time, facing toward the northern border.

"Are we in the right place?" Asuryn asked, expressing Sho's doubts for him. "Such an important oracle would have more visitors, I would think."

"We're in the right place, nya," Daitoukuji replied confidently. Pharaoh, sleeping comfortably in his master's arms, stretched a little and yawned before returning to sleep.

As if to confirm that, two cloaked figures emerged from one of the houses – a teenage girl and an older man, both with darkened skin from being out in the sun so often. Both of them also had black hair, tied up so as to keep it out of their eyes, though the man also wore a hood over his head.

"Welcome to the Obelisk," the older man, his face covered in wrinkles. He motioned toward the girl. "This is Sara, and I am her teacher. You must be here to see the Oracle, if you have come this far."

"Yes, we have," Sho replied.

The girl replied, "The Oracle will be willing to see you tomorrow morning. For tonight, however, we would be honored if you would stay with us as our guests."

The members of the group glanced among one another before Daitoukuji spoke up. "We would be happy to accept your invitation, nya."

* * *

Kioku knew that he should probably stay by either Thunder or Sho's side during dinner. After all, Thunder was his creator, his Aniki, while the Prince was the one he had been created to protect. However, both of them seemed involved in conversations that would probably not be very polite for him to listen to even if he was particularly interested in hearing about their topics, so he spent his time in the back corner of the front hall, curled up in a position that, for most hounds, would have meant that he was at least partially asleep.

Not that he was asleep. Even if he was physically capable of such, which he was not, he was hardly tired, and his duty was still to protect.

He wasn't expecting to be joined by anyone, but eventually he was when Sara came over with a plate of food. "Are you hungry?" she asked, in an effort to be polite to her guests.

"No, thank you," Kioku responded. "I can't eat."

"Oh," Sara replied, somewhat embarrassed. "Sorry."

"No, it's all right," Kioku reassured her. Then, as an attempt to change the topic, he commented, "Your ears… you aren't human, are you."

Of course he would point out the ears. But Sara wasn't particularly upset by that. "No, I'm not human. I'm a Kuroten. Probably one of the last remaining in the world, but still a Kuroten."

"Why would you be one of the last remaining?" he asked, his head tilting.

Sara shrugged. "Ask the Blizzard King. For some reason, thirteen years ago, he ordered the extermination of our race. His soldiers killed my parents, my friends, my neighbors… almost all of the members of my village, and from what I heard, almost all of the other villages were decimated too. I managed to escape over the Academian border, but I doubt that there are any others who are still alive." Quietly, she added, "I still wonder if my little brother is okay…"

"I'm sorry," Kioku replied, hanging his head slightly. "It must be hard, to lose everyone you care about."

Sara smiled. "Thanks. I get by well enough here though. The people of the Obelisk are so kind – they took me in when I had nowhere else to go, and as long as I do my chores and greet visitors warmly, I get good food, a place to stay, even some training in combat." She might have said more, except that a bell sounded in the kitchen. "Well, that means that the carrots are ready. I'm sorry, again, about the mix-up."

"It's not a problem, really," Kioku replied contently. And as Sara left the room to bring the carrots to the dinner table, he curled up into his position again.

He wouldn't mention it to anyone, but for some strange reason, he could have sworn that he had seen ears like those before. He just wished he could remember from where.

* * *

"And here we are," Sara's teacher said as he led Sho and Judai to the entrance to the Oracle's room. Even given the situation, the Prince had only been allowed to bring Judai with him. Asuryn, Daichi and Thunder lived in Nordia and were therefore not permitted due to diplomatic concerns (after all, technically the peace treaties still hadn't been signed), and though the public excuse was that only one person was permitted to come with him, the real reason why Daitoukuji couldn't come was for safety reasons. On the off chance that Darkness decided to 'call' him while they were in there, that would cause a problem.

"I will wait out here. While you meet with the Oracle, be respectful. He always responds to inquiries to the best of his abilities, but if he grows tired, he must not be pushed."

"I understand," Sho replied. Then, he and Judai stepped through the doorway, and the door shut behind them.

"Welcome, travelers," came a voice ahead of them, and torches lit themselves down the sides of the cave – all of them blue flames – until they reached the end, where the Oracle sat on a tall stool. One could not see his eyes, for his head was covered by a smooth, light grey helm, shaped to resemble, if one squinted and turned their head about five degrees to the left, the head of a dragon. He wore similarly colored robes and gloves, though on what little could be seen of his legs he wore black pants. A long train of red hair poured out from behind his head, though whether it was natural or simply a part of the headdress was hard to determine.

"You are the Oracle, correct?" Sho asked, simply for confirmation.

"Yes, I am he. I speak only that which the first Kaiser bids me to." The Oracle stood up, abandoning his stool. "And you are the current heir to that throne, seeking a way to restore your brother, whose position has been usurped."

Without waiting for a response – it was as though the man already knew all of the questions that Sho wanted to ask – the Oracle continued, "Your brother is alive, in the palace of Academia. The Blizzard Prince is also alive, though not even I can discern his location. The one who has usurped the throne is no mere human, however, but a being whose body has been taken by a Wurm."

"A Wurm?" Judai asked. "What's that?"

"A corrupted creature," the Oracle replied, "born of spears and shadows. They infect those of human descent and create for them a world of pain and suffering, eventually driving them to the brink of insanity from the harm inflicted on their bodies before, if no remedy is found, killing them." Pausing for a moment, he continued, "Though, there has never been a case of this type of Wurm holding such command over the taken one's mind as well."

"So it's entirely the doing of this Wurm creature, then?" Sho confirmed. "How do we defeat it, then?"

"At this stage, in order to rid yourselves of the Wurm without harming the taken one, you must seek to destroy the other five Stars under his command, and take their prized amulets. When all seven of their rainbow stones are combined, you, the Heir, will be able to form what is necessary." He then turned to Judai. "Though, I sense power from you as well, one that feels… familiar. Your power will be necessary to restore peace as well."

"What do you mean by that?" Judai asked, but the Oracle raised his hand.

"Enough! I grow weary."

Sho and Judai looked at each other for a moment, and then Sho bowed respectfully. "Thank you for your help, Oracle."

And with that, the two of them left the room, and the Oracle returned to a sitting position. It could be quite exhausting, sometimes, to channel the first Kaiser. Especially when the inquiry invoked such a passionate emotional response as well.

* * *

Asuryn was not bored, she told herself as she sat patiently on a bench, her gaze wandering aimlessly through the sky. Boredom meant that there was nothing that she could do, while she _was_ occupying her time.

Albeit by letting her thoughts wander while she waited for the others to return, but still.

She'd talked plenty with Daichi already on her travels, and the only topics that she hadn't discussed with him by now would jeopardize their secrecy – she still couldn't have anyone knowing who she really was, not even the heir to the throne who would keep it secret. Thunder and the Ojamas were giving Kioku some routine maintenance, so they couldn't be disturbed even if she'd had anything in particular she wanted to discuss with him. Who else was there _to_ talk to?

Her gaze eventually fell on the top of the Obelisk once again, and she regarded the statue of the white dragon once again. It was a beautiful statue, even from this distance – it could almost be mistaken for an actual living dragon, if one looked at it in just the right manner. And almost more amazing than the dragon itself was the fact that such a large statue had been put on the top of such a skinny tower. How had the architects done that?

It reminded her, somewhat, of a tapestry in Nordia's palace. On the back wall of the Grand Ballroom was an image of a dragon as well, except instead of white, it was pure black.

"The white dragon is certainly a spectacle, isn't it." Asuryn looked up when she heard the voice suddenly next to her, to find Daitoukuji sitting there, Pharaoh curled up by his feet. How he had gotten there without her noticing, she'd never know.

"Yes, it is," Asuryn agreed, pulling her cloak closer around her.

Daitoukuji smiled a little before continuing, "There's a rumor floating around this place. Supposedly, it wasn't always facing toward Nordia, nya." When Asuryn turned toward him with her head tilted curiously, he continued, "It's only a rumor, but until the war began, the dragon is said to have had its wings folded, and to have faced toward Academia's palace. The day the war started was the day that those who live here first noticed that the dragon had suddenly turned, without any explanation as to why, nya."

"Huh," Asuryn replied, thinking over what he had said. "That's strange. A statue, turning by itself?"

Daitoukuji bent over and reached down to pet his cat, who purred happily at the man's touch. "Perhaps. Or perhaps it had help, or perhaps it was never really a statue."

"What do you mean?" Asuryn asked, now even more curious. Why would he think something like that?

Daitoukuji was saved from having to answer, however, by a voice that echoed from down the road. "Hey, everyone! We're back!"

And as Asuryn turned toward the sound of the voice, she saw Judai and Sho returning from the Oracle, both in one piece, though both seemingly slightly nervous thanks to the information they had gained. Asking Daitoukuji about what he meant could wait until those were done explaining what they had learned – it wasn't as though whatever secret he held was probably of all that much importance anyway.

* * *

_Author's Notes: Sara's teacher is the Gravekeeper Leader, while the Oracle is the Duel Spirit Kaibaman, in case any of that wasn't alluded to clearly enough. As usual, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask them and I will make sure to answer them to the best of my ability, whether in the story itself or in an author's note._


End file.
